analyzing curriculum options

We've been spending a lot of the last few weeks poring over and discussing homeschooling curriculum options for young children. You may remember my last post about homeschooling in which I raved about Educating the Whole-Hearted Child. Well, I still love the entire philosophy, but somehow I missed that there isn't actually a curriculum that goes along with that method. It's a philosophy, not a curriculum. So here is 4.5-year-old Rilla, all ready for us to begin something along the lines of a more structured homeschool methodology, and I am, after years of planning to homeschool, totally embarrassed (and somewhat frustrated) to realize that despite all of my homeschool research and carefully-thought-out ideas, I am yet to actually figure out how I am going to do this from day to day. I need some structure.

Now, before all of you "It doesn't matter what curriculum you use! Just read your little ones good books and they will learn all they need to know in daily life!" people get ruffled up: I know. I know, I know, I know. Rilla and our other kiddos are fully capable of learning from our everyday life situations. And we do read lots and lots of books. But I need the structure of a homeschool program this year. Honestly, I sorta wish I'd begun it... just a tiny bit, we're not talking textbooks and worksheets here, just somewhat more purposeful playtimes and discussions... last year. I'm willing to have, and expect to have, some deviations or additions to whatever curriculum we choose. But I do really need to have something created by someone else so that I at least have a place to start from! (Or at least I think that's what I need. I suppose I'll find out soon!)

Anyway, I started looking through Christian curriculums and felt overwhelmed. Then I began reading and working through Cathy Duffy's 101 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum and am now feeling hugely relieved! I am the analytical type of person; I want to know every possible option out there and chart them all out so that I can find what is best for our family. Sure, what we do and how we do it could change later on, but I need to at least find a good starting place. The book 101 Top Picks has been hugely helpful for me, as it has already done the researching and charting for me, and has included several things that I, as a newbie homeschooler, hadn't even thought about. It's helped me not only in narrowing down my options and realizing exactly what I'm looking for (Christian-based unit studies with a Charlotte Mason and classical approach, if you're wondering), but also, surprisingly, in enabling me to understand Rilla's learning style! It was actually kind of a big epiphany to realize that her learning style is different from mine. (She is a Sociable Sue!!! Who knew? Not me!!)

So. We've got our homeschooling picks narrowed down! And we're not totally positive yet but I'm thinking that we will probably go with... drumroll please!... My Father's World. It's a Christian, missions-oriented unit studies method that incorporates Charlotte Mason methods and the classical education model. Hurray! And it looks just about right for where our girl is at and what I can handle doing with three little ones. Tapestry of Grace and Sonlight also have a lot of appeal, but I'm not sure that I want to go quite as classical (and do as much parental prep work as is necessary) for Tapestry of Grace. I can't help looking at it with longing, but it's a little too old for Rilla right now anyway, so we could easily switch to that later if we wanted. Sonlight has quite a lot of perks but there are a few things that rub me the wrong way. So we are praying about it and taking some time to consider it but My Father's World seems to fit what we are looking for. My only concern is that it may not be phonics-oriented enough, and I really think Rilla is ready to begin reading now (she can sound out small words, but I need a bit of guidance in figuring out how to keep going with teaching her in that). But I feel like there is enough flexibility to add in more phonics and math as needed.

So. This is really, really, really exciting for me! It has been such a crisis of Needing To Figure This Out around here for the few weeks that I think it is pretty exciting for Keith too! I am tremendously relieved and excited. We are 90% of the way to figuring this out, and I am just so glad to think that we will actually have made a choice by the time another month has gone by.

Here are a few links if you are wondering what exactly I'm talking about:

My Father's World homeschool curriculum

Tapestry of Grace homeschool curriculum

Sonlight homeschool curriculum

Cathy Duffy's Homeschool Reviews

And here's a post that I've read a few times this week and have found encouraging.
(I really like Simple Homeschool... they tend to have a lot of good posts like this.)

Six Homeschooling Misconceptions Erased